Pope Leo XIV has cast an absentee ballot in the upcoming US midterm elections, making history as the first pope to vote in an American election and possibly the first to participate in a secular democratic poll.
The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pontiff, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.
British historian Michael Walsh, who has written several books on the history of the papacy, said he did not believe any pope had previously voted in a democratic election.
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV is registered to vote in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox under his baptismal name, Robert Francis Prevost, according to Vatican sources. As a US citizen, he is legally entitled to participate in the election.
Since becoming pope in May 2025, he has repeatedly encouraged people to take part in civic life.
The pontiff has previously clashed with US President Donald Trump over immigration policy and the administration’s approach to the war in Iran.
His ballot is believed to include contests for the US Senate, Illinois governor and the House of Representatives.
In 2011, when he was serving as a reverend in Illinois, he also sent a personal message to the then-governor thanking him for abolishing the death penalty in the state.
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